Beneath the Surface
by animewatcher435
Summary: A guide is tricky to figure out, especially when they can predict the paths that people go on their journey up the tower. But what if, someone of the Khun family were to challenge himself in figuring out what Hwa Ryun is scheming and understand what she's like behind her role as a guide This is something only the bravest and stupidest of warriors would embark themselves on.
1. All Journeys Begin With A Obstacle

**Disclamer: TOG and it's characters belong to SIU and the Naver Corporation**

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"You're sure you don't need help? You don't seem like the type of guy to wash dishes on a regular basis. Aren't Boro and Sachi usually on washing the dishes shift, or Bero Bero and Cherry La" Yiwha said, eying the pile of dishes next to the sink. The look of the dishes though cleaned off by the appetite of the team, might track all sorts of pests if left unattended throughout the night.

"It's best you don't worry about it. Think of it as more of a rest break. It wouldn't be good for you or anybody else to spend 30 minutes or so cleaning these dishes. It's important for the team to be well rested before a floor test" Khun rambled, already putting the first plate in the sink filled with hot water and scrubbing off the grime.

Yiwha wasn't too sure of what he was saying. She would like to help, that's what Baam would do but since Khun is insisting, then she'll have to trust him.

"I think it's best if you also get some rest, you are part of the team too." Yiwha left the kitchen, offering him a brief look of sympathy before going through the door that is next to the kitchen.

'Hmm… I wonder if Baam has influenced her to be more caring of people' Khun pondered, now that he's done with the first dish, he took it out of the sink and lay it on the opposite side of the kitchen counter. It'll be the foundation of a mountain of wet dishes to be dried later on.

As Khun continued to scrub plate after plate, he felt the hot water slightly burnt his skin.

'At this rate, it'll be a nightmare for md to scrub the glass cups yet, but at least there's only 14 of them rather then endless amounts of plates thanks to one crocodile who doesn't care one bit about conservation.' Khun was no longer scrubbing the plates with an optimistic energy, but scrubbing while staring past the kitchen and looking at the dinner table where he and his team had dinner an hour ago.

'My teammates' Khun thought of them in his head.

Baam is a big concern, even for someone like Khun. As he grew more and more powerful, there's an underlying suspicion he might not be able to relate or care about the teammates that aren't as powerful as he is. At that point, only Androssi would be able to keep Baam in her sight, however she can't keep up forever and who knows when she'll admit that before anything disastrous happens.

There was Wangnan who was doing his part to motivate his teammates to do better, Ran and Anak are getting along quite nicely, though nicely means they're merely sparring day in and day out. You're supposed to rest every second day or so.

Rak is still the same old crocodile who is training even more then Baam. He wouldn't be surprised if Rak were to defeat the floor test tomorrow with no sweat. Wait, does he even have any sweat glands?

Yiwha is someone to fear now that she has gotten control of the flame inside her, though she isn't allowed to cook for everyone unless she's under strict supervision by Baam.

Speaking of Baam, he needs to stop his training, even for a couple of days. If he's really training to save his friends, then what might happen to his friends when he doesn't spend much time with them anyway.

'Maybe I'm being a bit hard on Baam, I should take Rak along and try to persuade him to hang out with us just like the good old' days.' Khun thought to himself, brief flashbacks flowed through his memory of the times he hanged out with his original teammates.

Those were some good times on the 2nd floor. Getting to witness Baam gaining confidence through his new friendships. Rak transforming from the intimidating beast to a midget who has an odd obsession with bananas and turtles.

As for him, there wasn't any pressure for him to be a leader or to be someone who people looked up to for guidance. He was equal with his teammates, even the two Zahard princesses.

Khun stopped scrubbing the plates.

'What am I doing?! I can't get stuck thinking about this now! If I don't wash and dry these dishes soon, I won't have as much sleep as my teammates. Why didn't I get a partner to help me out?' Khun was caught up in his thought process when he noticed the pile of dishes on the other side of the kitchen counter that were already washed was depleted by half.

Turning over to his right, he saw Hwa Ryun drying the dishes with a tablecloth efficiently with relative ease.

"You can drown your sorrows later, right now I would appreciate it if you can get your work done" said Hwa Ryun.

Khun took his eyes off the dinner table and returned to washing the dishes as well.

'Out of all the people to help me, it has to be a witch like her!' Khun furrowed his eyebrows, keeping one eye on her in case she decided to do something behind his back. He couldn't predict what she would do, but she's not someone who he could trust after all this time of climbing up the tower.

Seeing that Hwa Ryun is almost done with the pile of dishes, he quickens the pace and handed off the rinsed dishes as best as he could.

He managed to clean the rest of the dishes in 10 minutes, though he started to felt Hwa Ryun's impatient stare at the side of his head.

'She probably has better things to do then cleaning the dishes then me. She is probably thinking how she can steal Baam and send him back to FUG for a bargain.' Khun thought. His anxiousness is making it all the more likely for a plate to be broken.

With the dishes all dry and neatly sorted into their compartments, Hwa Ryun was about to leave the kitchen when Khun walked over to her.

"Hey, is Baam responsible for you being here?" Khun asked, it was an easy question to ask plus it's relevant to the current circumstance.

"Indeed my god asked me to, though I could have refused but alas, I couldn't resist his pleading eyes." Hwa Ryun chuckled.

"Thanks, but it worries me that I don't know what you do half of the time. You leave and enter a few dozen times. I wouldn't have noticed this if I didn't hear Androssi rant about it time after time again. I don't want to force you out from the group since you have history with Baam, I want you to be more honest with me and tell me what's on your mind." Khun said, however Hwa Ryun doesn't look worried at all, in fact she was even smirking.

"Did it really take that long for you to realise? And here I thought you were the smart one…" Hwa Ryun joked at Khun's expense.

"So are you going to tell me or not?" Khun grumbled. Honestly did Hwa Ryun expect him to rise to her taunting. There's only so many times he could get outwitted by her before he catches on.

"Hmmm, what do I get in return?" Hwa Ryun said, smirking all the while as she drummed her fingers onto the kitchen counter.

'At least she's not walking away, but what can I actually offer a guide?' Khun crossed his arms in annoyance to the sound of Hwa Ryun's fingers tapping the kitchen counter.

"Since… I'm asking you to reveal what you're thinking; why don't I reveal what I'm thinking in return."

"I already know what you're thinking." Hwa Ryun stopped drumming her fingers, no longer smirking or looking pleased with herself.

"Guides don't have mind reading powers!" Khun slammed the kitchen top, temporally forgetting about Hwa Ryun's pattern of speech.

"No, but I can easily tell you were unsettled by my appearance, and knowing your close emotional connection to Viole, I concluded that you are afraid of me being around my god, is this line of reasoning close enough?" Hwa Ryun asked.

"Close enough" Khun muttered, however Hwa Ryun heard him.

"Pity, I was hoping for you to be stubborn a bit longer, oh well, that's how it is. Look, I'm happy you were able to show my god the good side of humanity."

'Happy? What would she look like with a genuine smile' Khun tried to imagine what Hwa Ryun would look like, but it's like imagining himself without earrings or Baam not thinking about Rachel every now and again. Even imagining himself with a genuine smile is kind of hard, he simply didn't have a reason to nowadays.

"Although I already knew about your emotional attachment to Viole, you don't need to worry, I can't force my god to go down his destined path. He'll kill the king when he's ready. Besides, he's already so powerful now I won't be able to restrain him without Jinsung's help, and you know how much Jinsung views Viole like the son he never had." Hwa Ryun rambled knowing she had achieved the forward momentum in the conversation and so continued drumming her fingers on the kitchen counter.

"That doesn't convince me at all. You know how Baam is too easy to trust others, even now that we're at the higher floors. I'm sure if you were to lie to Baam, saying that me or Rak, even someone like Boro were to be hold up somewhere in one of FUG's strongholds, Baam would be willing to do anything to bring them back, even at the cost of his life." Khun felt his facial features strained by Hwa Ryun's lack of tension towards him and the annoying sounds of her drumming.

"It seems we can agree on what Baam is most likely going to do already, so how about we agree to disagree and move on." Hwa Ryun said.

"Hold on a sec, I'm not done yet. I just think you are a danger to the team, and I want you to understand you can't just pop in and out without prior notice. Understand?" Khun leaned towards Hwa Ryun.

"This is low, threatening a guide like that… I couldn't care less about you or anyone else on this team. I'm only here to keep an eye on Viole." Hwa Ryun said, halting her drumming in the process.

"I knew you would have said that! Drat, it makes me so upset, why are you like this?! Honestly, the things I would do to you if Baam wasn't here!" Khun shouted, unable to restrain himself from lashing out against Hwa Ryun and her lack of respect towards him.

The door next to the kitchen burst open and a drowsy Boro came in.

"Hey, can you two shut up…. I'm… I'm trying to get some sleep here. Honestly, do you want me to get a full night's sleep or not? I swear…." Boro said, then he closed the door and yawned his way back to his room.

"Ahem" Khun and Hwa Ryun simultaneously said.

"We'll continue this discussion at a more appropriate time" Khun left the kitchen, not wanting to waste his time with Hwa Ryun any longer. He might as well get some extra sleep instead of completing his usual round of paperwork.

"Good luck with that" Hwa Ryun waved, wearing a fake smile that delivered a frown to Khun's face before he walked through the door that Boro came from earlier.

'That red haired witch! There's no telling what she could do next.' Khun's frustrated thoughts translated through his frantic stomps down the hallway. You could even compare him to a steam train chugging through a tunnel, stream rising out of his burning ears.

'I'm the only one who can tell how Hwa Ryun talks but I'm helpless as Androssi when it comes to dealing with her' Khun arrived at his room, grabbing the doorknob and pushed his way through. Lucky for him, the door was more then capable of not getting destroyed by his rare amount of annoyance.

Khun caught himself in a mirror as he stormed into his room.

'Why am I like this?' The thought was like rain to an already burnt forest, his frown and burnt ears eased themselves to a melancholic state.

Khun sat on the edge of his bed, his hands holding his head in light of the battle he fought in the kitchen.

'I shouldn't had let her mention of Baam get to me. I should had attacked her connection to FUG and there I could have had new information on any of her plans.' Thinking back to her fake smile mixed in with her smirk, not to mention a remix of her drumming fingers over the kitchen top.

As Khun's mind begin to spur with the recent memories of how he messed up, he could only come to one conclusion.

'I need to figure out a way to understand Hwa Ryun.'


	2. Sliding Up and Down the Pedestal

**Beneath the Surface Ch 2: 2** **nd** **Draft**

Floor tests throughout the tower is just like life itself.

It has its hopeful ups and dreadful downs, sometimes it's in the melancholic middle where anything could happen.

Today is near the top, although someone like Khun wouldn't be relaxed on this victorious occasion.

Khun observed the mid afternoon sunny weather, though there's clouds breezing along on the air currents.

'These floor tests are getting too easily resolved for us. This must have something to do with FUG, but what if it's because of our general strength as a whole.' Khun pondered on the matter, walking back and forth despite the light ball directing its heat on top of him.

Of course, if it were the case of Khun's team winning through their skills, it wouldn't be much effort when you have an irregular, two Zahard princesses, and a direct descendent as your strongest teammates. It's a matter of not wanting to be too overconfident. The tower is just that dangerous.

Khun looked back and forth, the bare surroundings alas didn't offer any hint on which possibility is more plausible.

The environment is a mere plain with a dirt path, leading up to a cliff with a drop to a big canyon with two bases on the opposing sides, both of them combined wouldn't be enough to occupy half of their current residence they were staying at.

Khun's feet ached from the walking he's been committed to since recently after the completion of the floor test. Fortunately for him, there's a bench parked on the side of a dirt path. He's seen that bench before walking into the test area, but he thought he wouldn't need it until now.

Seating down and letting his feet rest, he can now feel the space of solitude enough to let his thoughts come in relative ease.

'I mustn't overestimate the upcoming floors. We may have gotten lucky with this one, but if I were to take Hwa Ryun at her word, we might get in a situation where we're in too deep over our heads. We might even meet someone as powerful as Ha Jinsung.' Khun let that frightful possibility ran its course in its mind as he let the image of his surroundings consume his vision.

Khun knows it's not so good to be so complacent in letting the worst possibility scenarios play out in his mind over and over again, otherwise how will you get anything done if you're worried all the time. If only he can apply it to what he feels what Baam needs.

It's hard enough being aware of what Baam's putting himself through, but it was quite another bringing it up to him. Someone like Shibusu or Wangnan would have better luck talking to him. Khun couldn't pride himself in social skills unless it's for manipulative purposes, which Baam wouldn't approve off in the first place, regardless of context.

'How did Hwa Ryun deal with him for all those years, or should I be asking that about Jinsung himself?' Khun theorised to himself, knowing the connection between the two of them, he should remember to think on it later adding that Hansung is not too far when it comes to forcing Baam against his will.

Looking once again at the bare scenery, he noticed Hwa Ryun walking closer and closer to where he is.

By the looks of it, Hwa Ryun was lost in her own world, not walking with any purpose or intent. Even the way she moved her body was minimalistic. Not forcing her way against the wind, nor letting the air blow her clothes too far to break her melancholic mood.

Khun adjusted his posture probably to be as relaxed as much as he could. Doing so opposed the rhythm of his mind and body. However, it's justified when you're facing someone that required adaptability to have a chance of victory.

'I should be more careful of how I talk to her this time around.' Khun kept his attention on Hwa Ryun who's away at a far distance, seeing when she'll notice him eventually.

"What's bothering you?" Ran asked, sitting on the bench next to Khun.

'Heh, at the rate you're growing, Maschenny might start to worry about your power.' Khun turned his head over in recognition of what Ran said.

"Nothing much, just some intelligence work. Unfortunately, your skills aren't necessary this time." Khun said. How easy would it be for him to sic Ran on Hwa Ryun and electrocute her to death?

If he hadn't met Baam, it would have been more convenient for dealing with people that annoyed him.

Ran nonchalantly stared at Khun. The way Khun brushed him off would infuriate him, but he doesn't think Khun ever stared at anyone quite like that except for Baam.

'She must be a slight bother to him.' Ran observed Hwa Ryun tilting her head up to the sky as she walked ever closer to where he is. 'She doesn't seem to be as bothersome as Anak or Novick, so he'll just leave her be for his older cousin to deal with.

Ran left his seat on the bench and walked onto the dirt path, along the way spotting Anak who's just training by herself.

'That was too easy, Ran wouldn't usually let up until he knew for certain.' Khun focused on Ran walking up to Anak in the middle of the field past the dirt path.

'Well at least Ran is getting along with Anak, whether he wants to admit it or not.'

By the time Khun had concluded his Ran thought piece, Hwa Ryun had already sat down on the opposite end of the bench.

"I'm not telling you where Baam is." Khun fired the first blow, which doesn't faze Hwa Ryun and only made her sighed.

"If I wanted to find Baam, I wouldn't need you to tell me where he is. Can't a girl like me enjoy the scenic route once in a while." Hwa Ryun said, referring to the scenery Khun was previously looking at.

"What's so scenic about this place? It's not exactly touristy or anything worth paying to visit. It's more or less a prelude to the floor test over there." Khun pointed out the bare plains, as well as the dirt path leading to the canyon where the floor test took place a couple of hours ago.

"Every place in the tower has their value. Who knows what this place would have been like if it wasn't for the king of the tower." Hwa Ryun said, not blinking her non covered eye.

'There she goes blaming Zahard again. Was she brainwashed, or was Zahard just like Hell Joe that she came to resent him ever since.' Khun thought up these two conclusions as he watched the clouds passing by.

"Anyhow, I assume my god has won the test for you. Time flies by when you're having fun." Hwa Ryun smiled in good humour.

"Baam is doing just fine." Khun forced himself to be readjusted to match Hwa Ryun's calm tempo.

"In fact, he's doing so superb he doesn't need to stand around after it's all over." Khun's eyes drifted themselves from the clouds to Hwa Ryun's amused eyes. "By the way, what do you even do besides think about Baam and going on a tirade about FUG?" Khun asked.

"Nothing that you should know. I have a role to play on Viole's path and that's enough for me." Hwa Ryun said, resting herself on the bench and lulled her neck to stare at the sky upwards.

Khun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This is just getting annoying hearing Hwa Ryun go on about destiny and fate. Did she get that line of thinking from reading a lot of fantasy books in her youth?

"Despite our different opinions, I believe now it's the appropriate time for us to resolve our differences and work together to help Baam." Khun proposed.

Hwa Ryun stared at Khun in amusement, not adjusting her stance at all.

"You're doing well on your own so far. There are people at FUG who could help Viole better then you can, but I suppose my god is patient enough to do with 15th best" Hwa Ryun no longer is preoccupied with staring at the sky as she arched her body sideways to get a better look at Khun.

Her words bought Khun to sit up straighter on his side of the bench. He couldn't pretend no longer that he and Hwa Ryun were having a pleasant conversation.

'Does she talk this way to everyone except Baam and whoever's in FUG? So much for a decent conversation.' Khun thought this to himself.

It wasn't much, but perhaps Khun will have to get this conversation to be more pleasant perhaps.

"It seems like you're enjoying yourself." Khun said, referring to Hwa Ryun's relaxed state.

"I guess so, but I don't need any compliment. I would rather enjoy myself with Viole, he might need some advice right about now." Hwa Ryun stood up to stretch her body, which is probably why she walked all the way out here in the first place.

"If you say so" Khun shrugged. He trusted Baam in his judgement, hopefully due to his rice pot training, he wouldn't need to rely on Hwa Ryun's judgement. Though, that could cause a backlash in the long run.

"Oh… It seems like a romance is blooming over there." Hwa Ryun observed, staring out past the dirt path.

'Why would there be a couple over here. It's just me and Hwa Ryun, plus Ran and Anak.' Khun concluded, staring where Hwa Ryun is staring.

Khun could only see Ran and Anak sparring by themselves. Anak seems to be trying a strategy of dividing her flurry to a rhythm of punches and kicks. That's what he concluded, though Ran is not doing half badly for a guy who's his entire skillset is built primarily on his arsenal of electric shinsu.

"You're deluding yourself. Just because a male and a female is participating in an activity together, that doesn't mean there's anything romantic happening." Khun huffed in displeasure. "With the amount of times you mentioned Baam, by your logic, that would mean you have a crush on him."

Hwa Ryun throw out a half attempted sigh before sitting down where she was before.

"I don't throw myself out on false hopes. At best, I can only hope for becoming his priestess." Hwa Ryun said that as if it's a guaranteed outcome in the future.

"Baam is not that type of person." Khun looked away from Hwa Ryun as he gripped the railing.

"Now who's making the assumptions." Hwa Ryun responded back in return.

The light ball had gone down across the sky enough that it was now evening. Ran and Anak had stopped when their stamina depleted enough. Anak looked across to where Khun and Hwa Ryun were, but was deterred by Ran who shook his head.

Anak nodded and turned around. Ran looked back at Khun for a second then followed Anak back to their residence.

"Your views are way too much romantised. But I won't judge you, it's understandable given the hope my god brings. It's not any of my business on what you think. In fact, by my estimation, you wouldn't be too far from becoming a priest yourself." Hwa Ryun said, smiling at her hypothetical claim.

'Is that supposed to be a compliment?' Khun was pleasantly caught off guard.

Was this something worth getting mad about yet?

"I see, but I don't hold Baam up to that same height you do. He's just as human as me and I'm going to be the one who will protect him as much as he protects me." Khun said, asserting his position in the matter.

"I see." Hwa Ryun nodded her head thoroughly. "Although your emotions are wasted on a god like him, it's only a matter of time before you two have to part ways."

"What do you mean part ways? Is FUG actually up to something?" Khun asked, willing his body to not lunge out and force Hwa Ryun to tell him the truth.

"Whether it's FUG or Zahard, or someone else, I can only see great misfortunate happening in the future. This is to be expected for those with great courage to walk their own paths." Hwa Ryun shrugged afterwards, then stood up from her position on the bench.

Khun stood up as well, noticing the light ball descending in the sky, signifying the arrival of evening.

"Baam was separated from me for several years. If that happens again in the future, then I'm sure we'll meet again." Khun said, his rebuttal built at last to withstand Hwa Ryun's insults if they so come down on him in the future

'I should get going and help the team pack. It might be good for Hwa Ryun to help out for once.' Khun thought to himself as he noted Hwa Ryun not backing down from him.

If only Khun could know what Hwa Ryun was thinking right now.

"Do you think you could help us with moving to the next floor?" Khun asked, though he wish he could order her to, but it would stop his current momentum.

"My god needs some guidance from me elsewhere at the moment, but I'm starting to see why Viole keeps you around." Hwa Ryun said as she walked away.

"You do that, Baam is generally receptive, even to people like you." Khun forced himself to chuckle. Perhaps that would make him more favourable in her eyes.

Hwa Ryun only gave a short wave as a response before she left. Knowing her sense of direction, she probably would find Baam better then Khun ever could. If only he had someone like Hwa Ryun back when Baam was kidnapped.

'She's a bit of work talking to, but I think I could get through to her now. Her gibberish about destiny and fate does show a correlation with her worshipping Baam's potential in killing Zahard. Now if I can figure out why Hwa Ryun thinks this way, then that's one step forward to figuring out what she could do next.

With that in mind, he followed where Hwa Ryun was walking, back to their residence where they should be staying for one or two more nights.


	3. It's Important to Help a Friend in Need

**TOG is owned by SIU and the Naver Corporation**

'That should be everything sorted out in here' Khun thought as he closed his bedroom door behind him. 'Another one off the list.'

Khun walked down the hallway, compared to other residences he rented over decades, this one would be in the top 5. You could cram 3 apartments into here and there would be a bit more space left for Androssi's clothing closets.

'With everything packed, I can move on with the others to the next thought' the thought occupied him as he entered the main living room but stopped short before he bumped into something.

"Hey, I was just looking for you." It was Wangnan, he's no Baam or Rak, but there's something about his charisma that makes it easy for someone like him to bounce off opinions with. "Have you seen Hwa Ryun around? Baam noticed you two were gone."

"I was making sure there was nothing amiss in this household before I left, she's probably in her room, doing who knows what." Khun moved past Wangnan to move across the living room.

"Well, that's a relief." Wangnan walked directly behind Khun. "She's been wondering around lately, I don't actually know what the whole purpose of it for" Wangnan said, the tone of his voice unintentionally made Khun tense.

"There's no need to worry about her, you two aren't that close anyway." Khun brushed off Wangnan's concerns, there shouldn't even be any connections between those two.

Khun and Wangnan left the main hallway to an interconnected hallway that goes to the entrance of the entrance.

"Still, there's something up with her recently, I can't place it though" Wangnan frowned, clearly he cares too much about people who wouldn't offer the same courtesy.

How was someone like Wangnan was able to climb this tower for so long, is one of those things that continues to boggle Khun ever since he met Baam.

"I think…" It's not easy searching for the right words to argue with someone who's determined to go against what's considered the social norm. "It's nice that you care about someone like Hwa Ryun, but don't you think it would be better place for teammates who are most likely to contribute to the team."

"That's true, however, what if she's experiencing the same feelings Viole used to have." Loneliness, regret, all those negative emotions" Wangnan explained his thought process as he and Khun arrived at the entrance.

'Don't tell me he has a secret ability to sense emotions by the aura of their shinsu' Khun thought. It's bothersome when someone tries to fix the issues you had all your life. Hwa Ryun may be an enemy, but at least she deserves some privacy.

"If that's the case, then it's only best to leave them alone" Khun exited the residence before he could expose himself to Wangnan's concern. It wouldn't be good to be in one of his therapy sessions.

'Why does almost every ceiling has to look the same.' Hwa Ryun gazed up at her bedroom ceiling from on top of her bed.

It's occasionally something she thinks about, in between talking to the FUG contacts she has, to catching up with Jinsung, to maybe once in a while taking a walk to rejuvenate her senses.

Weirdly enough, the urge to get outside has been pulsing around in her body recently. Part of the flaw of having a mortal body is having to deal with the biological urges. Hunger, sleep, reproduction, whispers she can still hear ever since her crowning as an adolescent. But whatever, it was the struggle that made her worthy of FUG.

It wasn't something she had to do, she could have easily given in and still be a capable guide, but obviously the pleasures of becoming something noteworthy of her culture and traditions far outweigh any possible biological pleasures.

'I should ask Khun to rent us a house that doesn't have beige walls, or better yet, get him to paint the ceiling a different colour' Hwa Ryun smiled a bit at the primitive thought. It's good to let loose and not having to be vague so that people like Khun wouldn't be able to use her for their own ends.

It's the melancholic times like these that she doesn't mind Viole taking his time to live up to fulfilling the prophecy that his mum set out.

A knock at the door pushed Hwa Ryun's pleasant mood out of the window. Of course it was moving day, no doubt Viole or Augero would be knocking on her door to get her to move on. Though it's less likely for Khun because if there were a chance to ditch Hwa Ryun, he would take it. However, It's Viole who was holding him in this predicament, just like with her.

Hwa Ryun bounced out of bed. Her clothing was fine enough to be presentable indoors. Shorts with a t-shirt, usually outfits suited for exploration are her first choice, but it's not comfortable wearing them all the time.

She peeked her head out of her bedroom door and kept her face neutral at the sight of Wangnan breathing a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Khun was right about here about you being here." Wangnan said.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Hwa Ryun raised an eyebrow.

Wangnan shook his head. "Never mind, but hey while we're here, do you have an idea with what's going on with Khun."

How easy would it be to close the door in response to an obstrusive question. This was the type of behaviour Hwa Ryun is hoping for Viole to grow out of. Unfortunately, people tend to hold onto childish habits, no matter how old they are.

Hwa Ryun stepped out of her room, this is going to be one of those days…

"From what I can gather about that member of the Khun family, he's just a bit worried about Viole" Hwa Ryun shrugged. Such an easy answer to answer a quest

"Oh, if that's the case, then how come you were acting weirdly recently? I thought I was the only one who was concerned about you" Wangnan pressed on forwards, adjusting to a new tempo in the conversation.

Hwa Ryun mischievously smiled. "I'm acting as I always do. Khun is the one who's acting weirdly."

"Uh huh" Wangnan frowned. The situation is getting nowhere. It's obvious that Wangnan wants to know what's going on, but really, it's not worth asking all these questions when the answer is not worth the pursuit.

"Do you two have a rivalry over Viole?" Wangnan asked.

If it were only that cute, it's just like Khun to act selfish when the things he attached himself to would obviously shine more if they belonged to an owner who can polished them to their full potential.

"It's only a slight exchange of dialogue." Hwa Ryun shrugged as she leaned back against her bedroom door.

"Can't you two just sort out your differences and figure out that Viole needs more of your friendship, rather then you two trying to hold the power over him." Wangnan suggested.

'Ok, now it's starting to get boring' the thought occurred to Hwa Ryun as she realised the conversation's not worth having, especially if it's someone who can get in FUG's way if she's not too careful with her words.

"It's astounds me how you still continue to be naïve." Hwa Ryun leaned forward from her position on her bedroom door to press the advantage. "Yet, you play an important part in my god's future." Hwa Ryun sighed, now feeling done with this conversation.

"Right… If you think I'm naïve, what's stopping me from saying you're naïve as well." Wangnan said, stumbling around with his response. "Don't be too certain of what's going to happen in the future.

At least, there's someone other then Khun who chooses to fight a losing battle.

"If what you say is correct, then I don't deserve to be a guide" Hwa Ryun said. "But I doubt that, truly, I pity you" Hwa Ryun gave Wangnan a stink eye then walked down the hallway, away from the defiant prince.

"Can't say I understand you too well, but at least you're honest" Wangnan chuckled.

Hwa Ryun's only response to Wangnan's laugher was her echoing footsteps, thumping repeatedly though the hallway.

 **A/N:** **This chapter took longer then I expected to come out, guess that's what happened when you don't plan a schedule, and get easily distracted by YouTube, oh well, it's times like this that I'm still growing as a writer.**

 **The more I flesh out this story, the more I discover that this story doesn't have enough room to justify the comedy tag. Hwa Ryun is fine enough, but that's how she was meant to be written. Someone who doesn't care about your feelings, but here's the thing, my standards for comedy are high enough, that I realise this isn't how I want to make my audience laugh.**

 **My ideal for comedy is the situation that is currently happening plus the chemistry of the characters. I haven't made any situation in the story so far ripe for any comedic bickering to happen. I think I can somehow justify at least the sub-genre of comedy if I just create a situation for what I was originally going for, for an entire chapter.**

 **Who knows, maybe it'll work out, perhaps not, but at least I got the rough drafts for the second half sorted out. It's time for editing, as far as I am concerned.**

 **I'm happy I'm getting to work with characters like Wangnan now, because he doesn't get the amount of representation he deserves from his role in TOG. I look at the world most of the time in groups of three, so I put Wangnan with Baam and Rachel as these types of people who are influential in how they approach life, and can attract people to their cause.**

 **It's going to take me many months until I can write Wangnan as efficiently as I write Hwa Ryun. As of now, I don't have a clear picture of what role he'll play in my future TOG fanfics, unlike Khun, Hwa Ryun, and Androssi, but at least for right now, I have plans for him to be featured quite heavily in a fanfic I already thought up, so be ready for that!**

 **I still need more experience for writing dialogue, cause somehow making them more interesting to the audience is the most difficult part of editing a chapter, don't get me wrong, editing is easier compared to typing out the raw ideas, it's a manner of trying to guess what the audience is thinking. It's important that I can get constant feedback so that I have more of an idea of what my audience sees in me.**

 **Despite this fanfic getting far away from my original intentions, I do enjoy giving depth to my thoughts about Khun and Hwa Ryun. They'll be interacting quite a lot in my future fanfics, so it's important for me to establish the status quo interactions for them, cause later on when I deconstruct and reconstruct their relations, it has to be natural and something that is nicely built up for anyone who wants to see that type of thing unfold.**

 **I'm going to be on a family trip for the next four days, so hopefully I'll be able to improve the remaining chapters while I'm gone!**

 **I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	4. The Rest Break Between Conflicts

**Disclaimer: TOG is owned by SIU and the Naver Corporation**

FLOOOSH!

A group of regulars plus an irregular appeared on an open plain via teleportation.

After adjusting, Khun gazed around to assess the environment, 'there's got to be a trap from all these repeated floor designs recently.'

Now that the situation had been assessed, Khun turned around to also assess his group.

Boro, Sachi, Bero Bero, Cherry La, and Yiwha seem to be alright, but there are a few people missing.

Baam and Rak sneaked out again. Khun sighed, 'at least they could have said something.' Old habits do die hard.

A pink light appeared in the sky and was headed in the direction of the town.

'What's gotten Androssi all excited now?' The thought entered Khun's mind, but it wasn't worth dwelling on for too long. She's just the next person on the list after Baam, Rak, and Hwa Ryun to disappear on him without him knowing most of the time.

Ran and Anak are missing as well. They either gone training on their own, or Androssi must have taken them to tour the town.

"Look at the time, I got to go talk to Miseng. She's calling me pretty soon. You know how it is with teammates." Wangnan clapped before walking to the town as well.

As a matter of routine, the group dispersed to the town up ahead to do their own thing.

'A town as small as this should have a few places open for us' Khun started to walk towards the town as well out of his own volition

"Hey, do you mind if I spend some time with you?" a voice rang out besides Khun.

He turned to the side and saw Yiwha as the source of the question. Khun considered it for a moment. Isn't it odd that someone who probably could find as much entertainment in a town as Androssi, would want to spend that time with someone who wouldn't be much fun in the first place.

"Aren't you going to go along with Wangnan?" Khun asked.

Yiwha shook her head, smiling as well.

"I already talked to her earlier. From what I heard, she's going well in her training. Though, I don't know if she's ready enough to catch up to us at the rate we're passing these floors" Yiwha expressed herself openly.

"If she wants it this badly, we might meet her soon. Though, I expect a delay once we get up to more floors. Based on my experience, usually when you're experiencing an easier time compared to normal, there's something bad about to happen" Yiwha hummed thoughtfully to Khun's provoking statement.

"I suppose. But still, wouldn't it be better to worry about the future under a roof and dinner in your stomach" Yiwha suggested.

Kuhn gave out an amusing smile. "When you say it like that, it looks like renting a house is going to be much easier this time."

"They're all rented out…." Khun mumbled, walking alongside Yiwha in the outskirts of the town.

It was no good, every single house and apartment had been rented out due to a local festival. You wouldn't think this was the case if you looked at the town from the distance. Androssi must have known if she was in a rush all of a sudden.

"It's ok, these things happen sometimes." Yiwha said out of assurance.

"It's not good enough. What am I supposed to say to the team?" Khun turned to Yiwha, confused on what to do next.

"Well, I wouldn't be the first person to go for it, but we could do some camping" Yiwha suggested.

"You and I don't seem like the type of people to go camping." Khun rebutted, pointing out the obvious.

"Well for someone who spent over a decade climbing the tower, how come you never camped!" Yiwha responded.

"I never needed to camp. What's your excuse?" Khun asked.

"There wasn't any dire circumstances that would force me to camp in the outdoors, besides I'm a fire hazard anyway, who knows what natural ecosystems I could destroy." Yiwha said.

'That's a bit of exaggeration.' Khun was dumbfounded. How can one regular be that dangerous?

"I suppose I'll look for a campsite, how about-"

"Khun, it's ok, I'm fine with helping you." Yiwha put a hand on Khun's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.

"If you say so." Khun mumbled, which Yiwha took as a sign to take her hand off his shoulder. "However, there might be a few campsites scattered in that nearby forest." Khun said.

Yiwha resisted the urge to let her body shiver at the possibility of encountering any creepy crawlies in the undergrowth of that forest.

Everybody's going to have to make sacrifices every now and again.

Hwa Ryun walked through the countryside, the night lighting her way as her light footsteps thud against the ground.

'It seems the night sky looks good tonight. Shame that there's no stars here. I'm wondering how Rachel is currently doing, how close is she to making my god complete his transition. This must be done for the good of the tower.' Hwa Ryun thought as she continued her merry stroll.

"Hey! Mrs Hwa Ryun" Baam called out from up ahead.

Hwa Ryun stopped in her tracks at the sight of Baam coming up to meet her.

"Viole, what's the manner?" Hwa Ryun asked, alert but from the looks on Viole's face, it didn't seem all that urgent.

"Oh, nothing. I thought you could use some company." Baam said.

'First Khun, then Wangnan, and now Baam. Are they seriously afraid of their futures that they would try to befriend me in the attempts of not having to listen to me anymore. I honestly don't blame them.' Hwa Ryun thought in her mind.

Only a guide like her can comprehend how the tower changes someone. Besides, it's not like Viole is going to be attached to his friendly personality forever, so it's best to enjoy it before it disappears forever.

"You do me more then the honours. I suppose training isn't enough for you?" Hwa Ryun asked.

"It's not that, Rak prefers his time for solitary training. I've been worrying Mr Khun for more then I would have liked. So, I want to make amends for it." Viole said.

"That's nice, but if you don't keep training, how else are you going to protect them from Zahard" Hwa Ryun suggested to Viole.

Hwa Ryun's statement threw Viole off but it didn't stop him from offering his response.

"I don't know, that's what I been thinking about recently. I want to help my friends in the best possible light, but is this actually working out…" Baam said, downtrodden.

"Hmmm… That is unfortunate, but I can at least assure you when you achieve your divine ship, perhaps a few will survive to see a new era in the tower." Hwa Ryun said.

"I want to least change that few to many. But I don't think Mr Khun will like me as a god" the dreaded topic slowed Viole's enthusiasm enough to match Hwa Ryun's melancholic

"He's someone worth listening to, but again, so am I." Hwa Ryun said.

Viole's inquisitive look reminds her that he does have a hard time comprehending her, as it goes for most people she talks to.

"Regardless of whether you listened to him or me, I would still believe you will arrive at the same conclusion. It's a matter of choosing a path at a crossroads, that doesn't really offer you any differences." Hwa Ryun said.

"So it's all subjective…" Baam mumbled. "Enough about me already, I'm glad to see you…" Baam fumbled for a bit. "Taking care of your health."

Hwa Ryun shrugged. "That's the least anyone would do, definitely such a long way up into the tower. I'm interested to see how long your friends can keep their heads above the water."

"I believe they're pulled their own weight already." Viole responded, his confidence made no room for rebuttal.

"If you say so, Viole." Hwa Ryun sighed, continuing to walk alongside Viole.

They came across a vacant space that hosts several small ovals, surrounding a small circle.

"Oh, this must be one of the empty campsites I saw on the brochure." Baam said. "Look there's even a fire pit."

"Viole, it's good we still have time to train you in this aspect. You see this taking place the more we get up, the less floors we'll come across that has a lesser quantity of settlements" Hwa Ryun explained in depth as she entered the vacant campsite.

Viole followed her. "Huh, I thought since Zahard conquered what he could of the tower, that there would be towns and cities on every floor of the tower."

"There's not enough population for all of the floors of the tower. Even back before the king invaded, there were some floors that had fewer settlements then the other floors. It's a matter of which resources could sustain them the most." Hwa Ryun elaborated. "That's why guides have an easier time travelling between floors. We can live on relatively nothing, and be satisfied with what blessings we can get."

Viole's eyes opened a bit more then usual.

"That's actually fascinating, I would like to learn how to do that. It'll help with me not being a burden on the team." Viole looked around eagerly, his joy lighting up the atmosphere around him.

Hwa Ryun composed herself to not smile at the sight of her god being happy discovering something which people take for granted. 'Does Khun get that same feeling?'

"That kind of lifestyle is for me, not someone who needs his energy to eventually fight high rankers." Hwa Ryun responded, standing besides Viole at the fire pit. "But I suppose, a few tips wouldn't hurt when you get in a rough spot."

Before Hwa Ryun can think about what she can teach Baam first, they heard a rustling in the bushes.

Thankfully, they saw blue lighthouses floating above the bushes, they had a pretty good guess on who it is.

Khun and Yiwha emerged from the bushes.

Baam and Hwa Ryun was tensed as it could have been anyone with blue lighthouses, but relaxed their stances when they saw Khun and Yiwha.

"You two are already here. Perfect timing, we could use some help setting up the tents." Khun reached into his lighthouses to remove the tent setups and dropped them onto the ground.

"Sure!" Baam's face lights up, now he can definitely be off immediate help to his best friend.

"Aren't you going to help as well?" Khun asked of Hwa Ryun.

A gust of wind blew through the campsite; Hwa Ryun saw Viole setting up the first tent with Yiwha.

"I don't see why not. It'll be good to help my god with how to set up a tent probably" Hwa Ryun squinted at Khun as she walked back, the sight of Khun smirking tempted her to hit him with her staff, but it's not worth risking getting on her god's bad side.

"Ok, so for our camping setup, we'll have Androssi and Anak sleeping together. Boro and Sachi can sleep as well, Bero Bero and Cherry La as well. Rak will have to decompress, so he'll be able to squeeze in with me and Baam. I was also thinking of putting you, Hwa Ryun, with Yiwha, do you mind?" Khun asked.

"I suppose not." Hwa Ryun shrugged,

Yiwha casted a wary stare at Hwa Ryun. In the effort of establishing a cheerily atmosphere, Yiwha motioned to Khun to get something else out of his lighthouse.

Baam caught sign of this sign language, waited eagerly for what's coming up next, only to be disappointed by the sight of marshmallow bags being taken out of Khun's lighthouse.

"Ahh, Mrs Yiwha, I don't think this is the right time for sweets?" Baam asked.

"Oh no, we won't be eating them as raw. Come on, I'll show you."

Yiwha gave the marshmallow bags on the ground, and then she lights the fire pit with her shinsu.

Such control seemed impossible to her at the 20th floor, imagine how far she had improved.

Baam sat on a nearby log and sticked a marshmallow at the end of his stick and rolled it close to the fire.

"Baam, not so close!" Before Yiwha could give out any further warnings, the marshmallow melted and felled out of Baam's stick into the fire.

"Oh, guess I need to be more careful" Baam chuckled as he got a new marshmallow out.

"Indeed, I don't often care for these rituals, so I suppose a live demonstration" Hwa Ryun said as she picked out her own marshmallow on the other side of the fire pit.

'Every time I got to interact with Hwa Ryun, it always ends up with new questions about her.' Khun thought.

Khun stared at Hwa Ryun and before he could think of looking at something else, Hwa Ryun caught him staring.

"Is something the matter?" Hwa Ryun asked while putting the marshmallow on the end of her stick.

"Nothing." Khun looked away, then he pushed a marshmallow on the end of his stick and sticked it out in front of the campfire.

"Say, Yiwha, I see you have been able to control your flames quite nicely" Khun smiled unevenly. How does Baam and Wangnan encourage others so easily?

"Yeah! That was pretty cool" Baam said, congratulating Yiwha on a simple task.

"It was nothing… It's quite simple once you learn how to limit it in size" Yiwha fumbled around, sitting down on a nearby log next to Khun.

"Hmm, perhaps your goal is not so far fleshed, we'll have to see what your diplomatic skills are like in the future" Hwa Ryun said.

"That'll be a bit of a problem" Yiwha concentrated on the now blooming fire.

"It won't be easy getting a big family like the Yeon to change their ways. But, I would like to help you out in the future." Yiwha looked at Khun in surprise.

"I know a thing or two about family relations. It'll be easier once we become rankers. Then, once I become the head of the Khun family, the Yeon family won't have no choice but to rely on its head to deal with us." Khun rambled on as Yiwha became flustered by his statement.

"Won't that make your ascension more difficult for you?" Yeon asked. "The high rankers will most likely to resist you at every turn. I wouldn't bear it if you get killed because of it." Yiwha was back to looking at the fire, it was at a downward angle this time.

Baam was torn about seeing Yiwha concerned, yet could relate to her in that moment.

"That's the risks we have to take if we are going to change things in the tower. If I wanted my climb to go more smoothly, I wouldn't have become friends with Baam in the first place." Khun said.

"That's right, I know Hwa Ryun speaks of dark times up ahead, but I believe in your dream. I want the tower to be a place where you can legitimately get your wish granted if you work hard for it." Baam rambled on. "So please, don't give up for Khun's sake or my sake."

"I…" Yiwha was stunned, and sure to be blushing as well.

"Careful, Baam. You don't want your second marshmallow to melt off, do you?" Hwa Ryun asked already on her third marshmallow.

"Right!" Baam said as he ate the cooked marshmallow. His face light up, his eyes wide open.

"Whoa! It's… I can't believe you can have something so simple yet delicious" Baam chewed a bit to get every last bit of nourishment out of the marshmallow he previously chewed.

"Ha-ha, I'm glad you liked it" Yiwha laughed, now pleased with yourself.

"Heh, still there are things that surprised you. I wonder what's that like" Khun said, a bit nostalgic for his early youth before he was forced to compete in his family.

"It's alright, though maybe I don't enjoy convenience food as much" Hwa Ryun shrugged, already on her fifth marshmallow.

'Speak for yourself' Khun and Yiwha thought at the same time.

"I hope the others can experience this. If you want to have an early night, you can go right ahead." Baam said.

"I think I'll have to do that, tomorrow's the big day for figuring out what the floor test is and how we can prepare for that" Khun said.

"If you say so, I'll stay up a bit late. This just feels so right to stay up" Yiwha said, smiling.

"I've nothing better to do, though don't expect me to say much" Hwa Ryun said, finished with her marshmallow, she rested her hand on her leg, holding her head up with her palm.

"Ok. Feel free to pipe in when you have something interesting to say" Baam said. "So Yiwha, how's Miseng goin-"

As Khun walked away from the fireplace, he looked back and locked eyes with Hwa Ryun for that one moment.

A line of thought occurred to both of them at the same time. 'How long can we enjoy these moments.'

 **A/N: This chapter is my favourite, overall, of this work for me to work on.**

 **I want to thank those who inspired me in the TOG fandom to write my own TOG interactions with the cast.**

 **There's so much possibilities I can create, that SIU won't have the time for because of restrictions from his schedule.**

 **Whatever happens next, whether the next chapters soar or flop. I am glad I was able to regularly update it, despite the hassles of writing.**

 **Hehehe, I hope you enjoyed yourself reading, every bit of feedback will help to improve my writing, I hope to see you back in my next chapter.**

 **Sorry Zumisumi, I guess I was ahead on the curve writing more interactions between Khun and Yiwha. Hehehe.**


	5. A Detour Might Be What You Need

**Disclaimer: I don't really own the rights, SIU, the author, does own the rights to TOG and its characters.**

On a typical day, after a typical lunch with typical friends, it would be typical for someone to get back into the rhythm of a typical afternoon.

But not for someone like Khun Augero Agnes. The dark rings under his eyes and the paler then usual skin would be obvious to anyone he needs rest from his work.

This is more of a compromise for Khun to sit in the town plaza, it's better to endure the dull conversations of the local residents then having to be guilt tripped by his team members who are too worried for someone like him.

'Now I'm all settled, what should I do about Baam and Rak. There should be something me and the two can do together. There needs to be food in for Rak, oh, is there anything Baam might be into?' Khun thought to himself.

"It seems the sunshine has done some good to your skin, you mind me sitting here?" Hwa Ryun asked behind the bench Khun was sitting on.

Khun turned around to address Hwa Ryun. "There better be a good reason for you coming here. I was thinking of something important that doesn't have anything to do with you."

"I was bored" Hwa Ryun shrugged, seating next to Khun on the bench.

'Weren't we in a similar circumstance on the last floor?' the thought occurred to Khun just then. He was right, this might as well be the exact same bench they were sitting on a few days ago.

Hwa Ryun settle herself on the bench, from the feel of it, this bench was more comfortable then the previous bench.

In an atmosphere like this, Khun wasn't exactly in the best mood to interrogate Hwa Ryun. Though, could it be considering interrogation if they were just having a conversation.

"Hey, Hwa Ryun" Khun said. "I-"

"I'm not saying anything about FUG" Hwa Ryun interrupted, ruining Khun's peaceful mood.

Khun's face retch in disgust. "It's not that. I was about to ask you about how you are doing, this is what I do for everybody else on my team."

"Oh, really?" Hwa Ryun asked, not amused.

"Yeah, really" Khun looked at Hwa Ryun.

Hwa Ryun raised an eyebrow. "Ok then, then tell me about how Androssi's doing?"

Khun stumbled for a second, realising he was caught in a trap. "Well, she's doing alright."

"So much for checking up on her" Hwa Ryun possibly raised the other eyebrow that was covered up by her eye patch.

"If you talked to someone like Androssi, then you would understand why it would be hard to get a coherent response from a Zahard princess" Khun said, not letting Hwa Ryun get the final word in.

"Then, how about we meet her and I'll see what you mean by her being so difficult?" Hwa Ryun said.

Khun could deny that possibility, however, if he did, then Hwa Ryun could easily hold this one over him and imply he looks at her with perhaps a different motive in mind.

"Alright, it's your funeral" Khun said. Though it'll likely be his funeral, It's either him regretting his defeat from Hwa Ryun or having a sore body thanks to Androssi's kicks.

For the next ten minutes, Hwa Ryun guided Khun throughout the town to find Androssi. It only took them to the last and searched clothing store that is most likely around on this floor.

"Hmm, she's not in any of the clothing stores" Hwa Ryun said from the front of the store.

"Yeah, so much for your guiding ability" Khun said as he walked up to her from the main aisle, taking the opportunity to dig the insult into Hwa Ryun's side.

"She shouldn't be that far away" Hwa Ryun ignored Khun's insult, as she eyed the layout of the store one last time before turning around to stare out the window. "Lets see, oh there she is" Hwa Ryun spotted Androssi walking on the sidewalk on the other side of the road.

Khun spotted Androssi as well, dreading the possibility of having to asleep tonight with his body all sore.

"Alright, lets see what she's doing" Khun said, but was stopped by Hwa Ryun.

"No, wait, she's acting abnormal for some reason" Hwa Ryun said, pushing Khun down so that Androssi couldn't see either of them.

Androssi was looking at the back of herself, then over to the other side of the road. Noticing that there isn't anyone following her, she went inside a 5 story building.

"That's weird of her to do that" Khun said, puzzled by Androssi's weird behaviour. This isn't what she would typically do, unless she was picking it up as a new habit to sneak up on Baam without him noticing.

"Well, there's only one way to find out" Hwa Ryun said, motioning to Khun to follow her.

Khun and Hwa Ryun crossed the road, entered the same building Androssi entered only a few moments ago.

Inside the building is a barren entry corridor, a lot of dust everywhere on the ground. A slight cough could easily stir up a dust storm in here. At the other side of the corridor was a door.

"Guess that's where she went" Hwa Ryun said, paying no mind to the state of the corridor.

"I swear if Androssi ends up a hostage, and I have to save both you and her, the things I'll do to you" Khun grumbled as he covered his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from coughing.

Khun and Hwa Ryun opened the door at the end of the corridor, it was not what they were expecting.

It was an amateur classroom divided into two sections. The closest half is the standard format you see in normal classrooms, thought it's nothing like the Floor of Tests classrooms. The far off section is filled with mini kitchen stations.

'Is this a cooking class?' Khun thought, taking the visual information in.

A teenage girl with upper back black hair, is standing in front of a whiteboard at the front of the class.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone else besides Androssi, do you know them by the way" the teenage girl asked.

Khun adjusted himself to gauge her reaction.

Androssi's eyebrows creased together, perhaps out of surprise or anger, but they disappeared and were replaced with a pleasant smile.

"Yeah, you could say we're acquaintances" Androssi carried on as if she was expecting the two of them to come in today.

"Sorry if we were intruding, we just wanted to see how she's doing" Khun restricted the urge to shudder, he can feel a chill or could it be sweat starting to show as a response from Androssi's examined stare. 'Darn these Zahard princesses, Androssi can't be that intimidating.'

"What is this class about?" Hwa Ryun asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh, this is a baking class, it's just me getting some teaching experience in the summer" the girl at the blackboard rambled on. "I didn't expect my first one to have a Zahard princess in it, which is a big honour by the way."

"Yes, they are acquaintances" Androssi calmed down and blowed Khun and Hwa Ryun off.

"Sorry if we were intruding, we just wanted to know how she's doing" Khun said, noting Androssi's weird look at him. This isn't something Androssi would expect Khun to say.

"What is this class about anyway?" Hwa Ryun asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh, this is a baking class, it's just me getting some teaching experience in the summer" the girl at the blackboard rambled on. "I didn't expect my first one to have a Zahard princess in it, which is a big honour, plus, if you want to know my name is Nari Lee, but please call me Nari, this is supposed to be casual" Nari rampantly explained.

'Well, at least she's trying' Khun thought, she at least deserves a better student then Androssi.

"I suppose if she's alright here then we must get going" Khun tried to turn around, but Hwa Ryun was behind him, and prevented his much needed escape.

"On second thought, why don't we stay here? Who knows, we might get to see how Androssi's actually doing" Hwa Ryun said, squinting her uncovered eye in delight. If she was more transparent, she would have giggled at this point.

'It's only a couple of hours, a couple of hours, no need for force' these justifications were enough for Khun to sit down on the nearest chair in the room, not because he was compelled to by Hwa Ryun, but rather it was out of politeness to the highschool student. It wouldn't be good for her to witness someone of the Khun family stabbing a red hair witch.

Khun switched his view between Androssi and Nari, their positions in the room fully imprinted in his mind. 'Damn it!' Khun thought as he sat in the nearest chair. 'Well, we'll stay just for today" Khun said, moving his chair away from where Hwa Ryun had sat next to him.

How he managed to keep himself from striking back at Hwa Ryun speaks to the influence of learning self control when he was very little, when any little move could have had spelled disaster for his own biological siblings.

"So for today, we're going into depth by examining the theoretical depth to how the art of baking was developed though the history of cultural exchange in the tower" Nari turned on the projector beside her, signalling the start of the PowerPoint presentation on the whiteboard, she switched from the introductory slide to the 2nd slide which has a basic timeline of important events in the tower's basic history.

The insanity of considering how much this girl must have studied to be able to present something like that to the degree of confidence nearly got Khun to listen for the sake of listening.

However, such knowledge wouldn't be necessary for a light bearer like him. It wasn't like he would have the time or place to bake anything for himself or someone else.

'Wouldn't that mean the same for Androssi?' the thought keep barraging Khun's mind, until eventually the lingering question muted whatever Nari was happen to be saying about anything baking related.

As a result, in the interest of keeping himself from going insane, Khun subtly oriented his body to look at Androssi to not cause attention to himself.

Androssi was paying attention to Nari, but every once in a while, she pinched herself to keep herself from losing focus.

'Whatever reason she came here for; it must be for someone else.' Having concluded his restless question, Khun let the ticking of the clock mixed in with Nari's lecture to allow him to set his mind on the blissful tune of autopilot.

The sound of the clock ticking by stirs Khun out of autopilot mind. It appears from the last slide which shows the reference notes and what sites Nari used for her research, it must be over at this point.

"And that concludes the history of baking, sorry you two, my lecture was more in depth then what would be expected for such a topic as baking. This was more suited for a one on one session" Nari waved her hands about as she turned off the projector, the sight of the final slide will only be a distant memory in both Khun's and Hwa Ryun's memories by tomorrow morning.

"It was no problem, we wanted to make sure Androssi's doing's well, like we said earlier" Khun said, keeping in mind that Androssi would likely be rolling her eyes at the sight of him covering up what was obviously a spy mission.

"That's sweet of you" Nari smiled, nodding as well. "Then I must go gather my experience notes together. Oh, and Androssi!" Nari called out to her. "Remember what we learn today, it will come in handy when we actually go in the kitchen tomorrow.

"I'm not going to forget any important information!" Androssi shouted from the corridor, already outside by the time they were able to comprehend what she had said.

"Do you two mind checking up on her outside, I gotta lock this classroom up, otherwise the headmaster will get mad at me for being irresponsible" Nari said, not wanting to inconvenience Khun and Hwa Ryun.

Khun and Hwa Ryun left the building, Nari exited the building shortly after and disappeared after she locked up the entrance.

Androssi was waiting for them, with her hand on her hip and her foot tapping the sidewalk impatiently

"So, do you mind explaining to me why you and Hwa Ryun were stalking me?!" Androssi impatiently asked. This tone is occasionally reserved for Baam when he acts too dense, even for someone who has an unstoppable affection for him.

"I think it would be better if you asked Hwa Ryun" Khun had planned at the moment to force Hwa Ryun into the equation, but a faint trace of newly formed shinsu was all that was left of her.

"Looks like she ran for it" Androssi said, her not so amused stare leers straight at Khun. "So, she put you up to it, you realize you didn't have to do it, yet you did it anyway, just why?!"

"Because it's a matter of getting information out of her, of course it backfired on me" Khun said, regretting the fact he's at the receiving end of Androssi's rage.

Androssi huffed in displeasure. "If that's the case, then don't waste your time bothering her."

"As much as I would like to stop, this is necessary, otherwise I wouldn't be able to figure out when she will have a coordinated plan with FUG in the interest of kidnapping Baam again." Khun was about to respond with more detail, but he was stop short by Androssi grabbing his shoulder with force, knocking him back a step or two.

"That's why I'm here, to prevent such actions. The only way they're getting him is over my dead body, and I don't intent to die soon." Androssi asserted, her confidence daring Khun to try and prove her wrong.

Khun felt himself nearly buckling under the princess's pressure. "We still don't have what it takes to protect Baam."

"Not with that attitude" Androssi almost growled directly into Khun's face, the distance between them got tighter as a result.

But swiftly as it came, her face initiated a tactical retreat from Khun's face. "Look, maybe I don't get it, but we know what Baam was like before FUG took him, and he's almost the same as before." Androssi let the tension flow out of her before continuing. "I care about Baam, so of course I intend to do whatever it takes to keep up with him."

"You do that, however, my part is stopping Hwa Ryun before she could help FUG again." Khun tapped Androssi's hand to let go of him.

Androssi complied and removed it for his sake. "So be it, but don't say I didn't warn you. She's someone you don't want to mess with, unless you're someone like me." She slightly grinned, a better outcome then what Khun had predicted earlier.

The light ball in the sky was itching closer to the horizon, casting a warm orange glow on the town.

"We should get going, after all, you're so concerned about her" Androssi snorted, her joke lifted her up into ecstasy, while being oblivious to Khun's downward spiral of flushed cheeks and implied and implied situations on his part involving the sneaky red hair witch.

"Not you too!" Khun grumbled, walking sluggishly in contrast to Androssi's cheerful skipping down the sidewalk.

Continually writing these chapters make me realise that I'm more of a sculptor then someone who writes. Chipping away at a rough draft, sharpening some aspects while playing down other aspects, and boom, a new chapter!

By the time I finished this chapter, I realised that the premise of this fanfic isn't suited for comedy. So that was my first mistake. The second mistake would be not thinking of the ending when starting it. Don't worry, I have an ending planned out, it's nearly done by the way.

I wasn't expecting to use my first OC this chapter but it came to me when I was figuring out why Androssi would go to a baking class. By the way, the second day of Nari teaching Androssi baking is not happening in this chapter, sorry if you were hyped for it.

Night-time is oddly the period of time where work doesn't feel like work, but actual fun. I'm going to see if I can take advantage of that.

Feel free to tell me if there are any grammar mistakes.

If you are planning to offer feedback, I would love to hear what my portrayal of Androssi is like. There seems to be something with me characterising these fictional characters. Some characters I naturally take to, while other characters take a bit of time writing until they are properly portrayed.

I hope you enjoyed this new chapter of mine and I'll see you in the final chapter!


	6. All Journeys Must Come to an End

**Disclaimer: TOG is owned by SIU and the Naver corporation**

 _Khun's perspective_

If I'm ever going to achieve a major victory against Hwa Ryun, then I must figure out what Hwa Ryun is outside of her prophesying about Baam being a deity.

The sights throughout town is enjoyable for all it is. It's a shame I won't be seeing it much in a few days when I move with my team to where this floor test is supposed to take place.

This is as good as a time as any to engage Hwa Ryun in not a test of wills, but a polite conversation. It's all part of my plan. There's only one avenue I can think of besides Baam we have in common.

"Hey, do you remember the first time we met?" I asked. That should start us off something sweet.

"Hmm" Hwa Ryun gazed at me, her eyes still cause me to wonder how she sees everybody else, including me.

"It was when you warned me about Hoh. I don't remember thanking you, so, I want to thank you for that" I carefully stated, adding weight to each word and pause.

There was no change of pace or emotion from Hwa Ryun. It's either the silent stare or gleeful sadism from her.

"Regardless of whether I warned you or not, the result would have been the same with Viole, though he might have been an entirely different person" Hwa Ryun said, her monotone signalling a disappointment for me.

"So, anyway, getting back to our first meeting, what did you think of me?" I can only commit to giving it a round two. After all, no plan survives contact with the enemy unless I happen to know what I'm doing.

Hwa Ryun's right eyebrow drooped and her right eye squinted. "That's a foolish question to ask, I'm surprised out of all people, you were the first one to ask me this" Hwa Ryun shook her head, playing up the act to get me frustrated again. "But, I suppose I must give you credit for asking a bold question. To be honest, you were one of those people who can accomplish well beyond their roles."

Of course I should be expecting this, intentionally covering your feelings under pretentious dialogue. I'm glad not all guides are like you, otherwise I will have to question the sanity of the tower's original inhabitants.

"To answer my own question, not much at all. There was too little to go off you at the time" I try not to go for honesty as much as I can, but it can be used as a tool to make people drop their guard around you.

"As it should be. There's no rational reason I should open up to someone who's going to try use that information against me" Hwa Ryun said.

Drat!

I'm not as good as pulling off a poker face as she is, from her new smile, she picked up on her latest victory over me. There's no time to let her gain the advantage.

"That's fair. So why don't I make things fair for you, and reveal some important information that you can use against me later" I delivered my counter augment, if I lose ground, then at least I didn't back down from an opponent I have no clear information on.

"Your definition of important might not align with my definition" Hwa Ryun said, not blinking an eye in refuting my counter argument.

I stopped in my tracks, Hwa Ryun noticed and stopped as well. I nearly gritted my teeth, how have I managed up here if I can't even get someone like her to reveal her backstory to me.

"You make it all too fun for me" Hwa Ryun walked forward to me, her arms folded behind her while leaning in to spite me.

"It would be easier for me and the team if you were to contribute your fair share" I said, trying to come up with anything that could get her to come off her high horse.

"You and the team?" Hwa Ryun repeated, adjusting herself to her usual tone of speech. "You, Androssi and the others? You really have confidence in them?" Hwa Ryun asked.

I frowned, as if it needed to be stated to someone who stayed with us for all this time. "Of course. I trust myself and Baam to assist the others up the tower."

"It's a shame that such a person like yourself would choose to shackle yourself with such burdens" Hwa Ryun mock sighed. The shame of her walking all over me will be worth it if I can just get a lead on her.

"It's not something I can expect a guide like you to understand" I rebuked, continuing to engage Hwa Ryun in a battle of wits is like not trying to fall face flat on a treadmill that keeps adjusting its speed.

"Indeed. So how much information have you gotten about me since you started this project?" Hwa Ryun asked, twisting the knife that was already embedded into me.

"It's only fair I don't tell my findings to someone who can't even be honest to me.

"So I gather, not much" Hwa Ryun smirked.

"It's only been a few days, you'll crack in least a few months" I looked directly into her one uncovered eye, not flinching a muscle.

There are only a few moments of anticipated silence, however it didn't last long when Hwa Ryun responded. "Good, then it's not a waste of time for me to continue to interact with you."

My perception of her had flipped. Was I making progress with her without even realising? What did I even do right?

"You enjoy talking to me?" It was the only appropriate response I can say in light of an unexpected moment.

"We are social creatures, Khun. Even someone like me will feel dissolved unless I talk to someone at least once in a while. Plus, it's not every decade I can have someone of the Khun family to have a pleasant conversation with" Hwa Ryun said.

"You know, these conversations can be technically be considered an interrogation" I responded.

"It's a matter of perspective" Hwa Ryun waved off my statement. "You don't scare me at all, Viole has tainted you too much."

"Ok. Could we have a pleasant conversation without mentioning Baam?" I asked.

"You don't even have to ask. Of course, I would like to pick the conversational topic" Hwa Ryun approached closer to me, not feeling the need to keep at a distance from me.

"Fine, as long as it doesn't have anything to do with Baam and romance" I emphasised, no need to get distracted with any of these topics.

I braced myself when I saw Hwa Ryun's slight gleeful smile. "Heh. Let's see" she deliberately holds off for a minute, as if she actually needed to think about what to say next.

"Do you have much experience with karaoke?" Hwa Ryun asked as if it was the most serious question in the world.

I stumbled a bit for an answer. "No, no, it was something I consider a distraction. Something to distract my team with, but not something for me to participate in."

Hwa Ryun smiled. "I see" she looked from side to side. "We have the whole afternoon to ourselves. We should go the local karaoke place in town."

"Wait, shouldn't we wait for the others to come back?" Khun asked.

Hwa Ryun smirked. "If you spent your life thinking about what happens next, you won't be able to approach the opportunities that are given to you."

"Alright, looks like we have a fight on our hands" I agreed to Hwa Ryun's proposition, though she has to take me there first.

 _Hwa Ryun's perspective_

"Off all the things I imagine of you, karaoke is nowhere associated with it" Khun said, looking around in their sorted karaoke room.

I walked in behind, easy and simple is the specifications I ordered for. I don't see a need to scare a beginner like Khun, after all this is the only thing that I could reasonably see myself doing with him. But, I'll have to consider what to do with Khun all obsessed with me.

"It's something I picked up on while I was working at a similar place like this" I responded as I headed over to sort the songs into two playlists. The pop songs will have to do for Khun, easy to sing and jam with the rhythm. Now for my own.

"If we're going to do something as pointless as this, why don't we make it more interesting?" Khun asked.

I turned to oblige Khun in his foolishness. "Khun, it amazes me how recently you been eager to engage me and still lose.

"If I'm going to do something as embarrassing as singing, wouldn't be a worthy motivation at the end of it?" Khun said, sitting on a chair.

How amusing, any worthy motivation would either be for money, power or sex. But, I must assume since this is specifically Augero, that he already had gotten a taste of those three in particular.

"Indeed" I shrugged as a gesture to understand a bit of my mood in the moment. "I'm all for harmless fun, but I can handle a bit of thrills every now and again."

Khun shifted on his chair, examining every feature of the karaoke room except for me. How disappointing.

"As I thought. It's better you start singing and forget about your foolish quest for this afternoon" I grabbed the mic at the side of the machine and handed it off to Khun.

Khun rolled his eyes and grabbed the microphone from my outstretched hand.

 _Khun's perspective_

Singing the notes wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Of course, the melody and beats blared the sight of the pop idol Yura into my mind, so that's certainly why my thoart is a bit sore now.

I sat down on the same chair after singing, then drinking water from a cup to rest and give my vocal cords a break.

I wonder how this experience would be different if we had more people here? Probably loud chatter and at least some drunken singing. Is this how karoke supposed to be enjoyed with just two people?

Hwa Ryun sat on the opposite chair, legs crossed as she kept staring at me, a catlike grin on her face.

At this point, she's been so unpredictable I could come up with an amount of different interpretations. Some would make sense right now, like her planning how she can dump my body without Baam and Rak knowing. While other possibilities are more crazy, let's say if she actually happy with me being here. Now that's something I can't comprehend.

"So, how about you sing next?" I smirked, anticipating the opportunity to see how good she is at singing.

 _Hwa Ryun's perspective_

I got up from my chair and grabbed the microphone. This is a song I would sing plenty of times when I come into one of these places. Of course, by sing, it's more or less mixed with hums.

It's a matter of preference for challenging myself with singing songs that rebel against the standard structure of what you'd see in most songs.

After a few minutes of getting used to the feeling of my vocal chords being stretched, I turned to see Khun snapping of what it seems to be a trance. Oh dear me, thankfully it's only him who heard my singing.

"I'm relieved we didn't bet anything on this" Khun said, seating up straighter on his seat.

I returned to my seat. "Oh this is nothing I take seriously. It was something I picked up in between jobs. It's the process of repeating until you don't even think about it anymore."

You could say it's ironic when me and Khun are at a place where we're supposed to be much closer, yet Khun is still unsatisfied with me upstaging him at every turn.

"You are too impatient. Why someone like you wants to do this in the first place? It would be much easy trying to indirectly affect me through Viole." I suggested that possibility as a favour for his attention towards me so far.

"Baam needs to not be concerned with you. Besides, I consider you my responsibility since I see you as part of the team, even though you don't deserve it." Apparently, I'll have to educate Khun on the importance of my role in teaching Viole his scared duty. Though, that will have to wait for a later time, otherwise that will be playing right into his scheming hands.

"Are you up for another go?" I offered him the mic. It's better not to let the tension sit too long, that will ruin the fun I had for the last few days.

 _Khun's perspective_

"Sure" that's what I had said before grabbing the mic and singing the lyrics off the screen. My fist tightened around the mic. Damn it, she actually did just load pop songs on my turn.

By the end of it, I was sure my lungs would need surgery from the pain it was in. No stab wounds could compare to this much suffering mixed in with shame from being defeated.

After refilling the same cup, that I had been drinking all this time, this would be a nice time to actually get to know her, this is the suitable place for such dialogue. "Since you have a habit of singing, I assume you have a favourite song?" I asked, my lungs had gone back to normal since there was no forced breaks in my question.

Hwa Ryun shrugged. "Lyrical songs aren't my thing, the reason why I'm able to sing them decently is that I know how to use my voice to switch between tones.

I rolled my eyes. At least that's something new. "For me, you could say I had no time to listen to any new music, so my favourites are probably outdated" I said, feeling the tension starting to ease to melancholy. This was something I wanted to experience with Baam and Rak, not someone I resented for all this time.

"Mhmm" Hwa Ryun acknowledged my statement. "I see. You know… I appreciated you as a help to Viole in the present. We'll see if Viole will reject his role and choose his path for himself."

"Let's say hypothetically, your idea for the future doesn't happen, Baam defeats Zahard without much trouble, and I come to rule over the Khun family. What would you do?" I asked, reluctantly I admitted later on that this was out of curiosity rather then a means to trap Hwa Ryun. 

"You being the head of the Khun family is one of the definite possibilities for what I can see for the future, so I'm prepared for the possibility. Though, if you want to get my head by then, I would already be gone by then" Hwa Ryun relaxed into her seat, this was something she had trained to do since she was a young girl.

I shook my head. "It'll depend on your cooperation, but I'm sure Baam is a merciful man who will give you your pardon."

 _Hwa Ryun's perspective_

"I see, if you'll excuse me, I have a last song to sing" I adjusted myself to stand up and approached Khun to get the mic from him.

Singing the last song from me almost made me giggle. Quite a clever twist for a song to parody the same formulaic songs you often see promoted on official TV stations by the Zahard empire.

The rhythms are in direct contrast to the songs I picked out for Khun, yet the melody is the exact same. Next time I get the opportunity to contact Jinsung, we'll have to schedule a meet up to sing these types of songs.

Khun stared at me with a more curious eye, instead of an analytical perspective like he usually does. Perhaps I'm actually warming up to him.

"You know, I don't know much about you, but thanks for showing me this side of you" Khun said, standing up in affirmation of his slight sincerity.

It's only fair to be a good sport for someone who was willing to be appreciative for at least a few moments. "It's good of you to acknowledge that, though it was more of wanting to offer you a good time. Now if only your pride was that easy to blow over."

Maybe someday, if all goes to well with Zahard falling from his throne and Viole being hailed as the new and almighty god. Perhaps, I might get to know him on my terms.

 **A/N:** **Damn... It's already over. I remember one day having the idea of a premise from someone who wanted to see Khun and Hwa Ryun interact in a comedic fashion, unintentionally annoying everybody else and theirselves.**

 **Well, six chapters later and I can safely say this story had not fulfil the quota I set out to do.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I certainly managed to my own thing and add my own characterisation to Khun and Hwa Ryun, two characters in the long run, will play a vital part in the few original TOG fanfic ideas I had, we'll have to wait and see when the world building provides more fertile grounds for my three way, I mean stories for me to write as I sail on a ship through the cascade of dreams.**

 **Anyway, this first serious multi chapter fanfic I consider a huge accomplishment for myself.**

 **Especially considering that my next TOG project needs multiple chapters because the premise can't be restricted to one chapter otherwise it would ruin the pacing.**

 **I am glad SIU was able to write and draw an amazing cast of characters, the fact that we don't have more TOG fan content to consume is something to take into account.**

 **Perhaps there are people like me, wanting to write their own stories about the characters, but have no idea of how to format it since there's so much to learn about the tower and where our cast of characters will end up on.**

 **I haven't given up hope yet, perhaps that project I'm planning next might be here in a few months' time. I'll have to see how much time 2 videos a month will take me.**

 **Thank you all for reading this, it encouraged me knowing there was a fair amount of people who decided to give this one a chance.**

 **I'll hopefully see you again in the next story!**


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